Wolverhampton Old Jewish Burial Ground (Cockshutts Lane)

We were recently contacted by Alan Isaacs who asked whether we would like copies of some photos taken at Wolverhampton Jewish Cemetery. Our readers will know that the answer was a resounding "Yes please!"

Alan, whose interests lie in electronics, has a virtual Radio Museum and also provides genealogy research services to some of his customers, kindly sent us the photos which we have now been able to add to CemeteryScribes.

According to an article originally published in the local Wolverhampton paper and repeated in the Jewish Chronicle, the first Jewish person to settle in Wolverhampton was a Mr Harris, who arrived there in 1833, and the first to die was a Mr Aaron. As a result of Mr Aaron's death the Duke of Cleveland presented the Jewish Community with a piece of ground in Green Lanes in 1851.

So far we have been unable to conclusively establish the identity of Mr Aaron, but it is likely that he was a member of this family 

In 1860 the papers reported on the trial of a couple of grave robbers. Apparently, they had disturbed the grave of Rhoda Wolf, who died on 19 Aug 1858 and was buried 4 days later. There is no record in the death registers of a Rhoda Wolf dying in Wolverhampton but there is, however, a Rose Wolfe who we think was very probably the same individual.

The Wolverhampton entries can be found here.

33 Jewish Charities in London - 1850

According to "The charities of London. Comprehending the benevolent, educational, and religious institutions. Their origin and design, progress, and present position (1850)", there were 33 specifically Jewish charities in London at the time of its publication.

Each charity is listed with the address, date of establishment and their presidents, treasurers and other officers.

For example this entry for the Jews’ Hospital in Mile End.

JEWS' HOSPITAL. Mile End. Founded 1807.

Affords both an asylum for age; and a place of refuge for youth where they are taught the modes of procuring a regular maintenance by the acquirement of trades, in order to become good and useful members of society. The present number of inmates comprise 12 aged persons, 55 boys and 20 girls; the total number who have been received in the house, 463.

Founded by the exertions of the late Messrs. Abraham and Benjamin Goldsmid, who, about 1799, commenced collecting donations from their friends for the purpose, of which not one was above £400, and but one under £50; and, upon February 17, 1806, having accumulated to £20,000, it was applied to the foundation. The hospital was purchased for £3,300, and has subsequently been considerably enlarged ; the amount of present funded property, is £48,143.

President, F. H. Goldsmid, Esq.

Treasurers: Aaron Joseph, Esq.; Lawrence Myers, Esq.

Physician, Dr. Southwood Smith.

Surgeon, Thos. Blizard Curling, Esq.

Apothecary, Mr. Joseph Kisch.

Solicitor, Mr. Sampson Samuel.

Superintendent and Sub-Secretary, Mr. Samuel Howe.

House-Steward and Matron, Mr. and Mrs. Myers.

Governess, Miss Hanbury.

Bankers, London and Westminster Bank.

Secretary, Mr. Samuel Solomon, 5, Hounsditch.

Others listed are;

HAND-IN-HAND CHARITABLE INSTITUTION Asylum, St. James's-place, Aldgate. Established 1840.

WESTERN JEWISH PHILANTHROPIC and Pension Society, 4, Manor-street, Chelsea. Established 1827.

JEWISH LADIES' BENEVOLENT LOAN AND Visiting Society, 31, Nottingham-place, Whitechapel-road. Established 1844.

INSTITUTION FOR THE RELIEF OF THE INDIGENT BLIND, of the Jewish Persuasion, Bevis-marks. Established 1819.

PHILANTHROPIC SOCIETY, for Relieving Distressed Widows and Families of the Jewish Persuasion, 5, Hounsditch. Established 1825.

Jews’ Orphan Asylum, 69 Leman Street Goodman’s Fields. Established 1831.

Gates of Hope and other Charity Schools, 11 Bevis Marks,

The National school, founded 1664 called Sheare Ticksa in Hebrew, or Gates of Hope, situate on the synagogue premises in Heneage Lane Bevis Marks, An upper

National and Infant School or Path of Trust, situate also on these premises, which admits children from the age of 2 years, both boys and girls.

Secretary: Mrs S. Almonsino

The Orphan School, situate on the synagogue premises, founded in 1703.

Jews Free School Bell-lane, Spitalfields. Instituted 1817.

WESTERN JEWISH GIRLS' FREE SCHOOL, 20, Dean-street, Soho. Instituted 1846.

WESTERN JEWISH FREE SCHOOL for Boys, 59A, Greek-street, Soho,

WEST METROPOLITAN JEWISH SCHOOL. Boys' school, 256, High Holborn ; opened 1845 ;

Society for Helping the Fallen ;

For Relieving the Poor in Confined Mourning ;

Of Independent Friends ;

For Distributing Bread and Coals ;.

For Distributing Bread, Meat, and Coals, during the Winter ;.

For Distributing Five Shillings per Week during the Winter;

For Relieving Distressed Persons (Holborn);.

For Clothing Poor Jewish Boys ;

For Clothing and Apprenticing Boys ;

Asylum for Aged and Infirm Widows ;

Widows Pension Society ;

Widows' Friendly Society ;

Ladies' Charity, Burton-crescent ;

Ladies' Benevolent Association for Clothing Female Children ;

Society for Cheering the Needy at Festivals;

For Allowing Weekly Stipend to the Needy;

Lying-in Charity for Indigent Women;

Society for Relieving the Indigent Poor in the Holy Land ;

The Knowles Collection

Most people researching Jewish families in the UK will have heard of the Knowles Collection: if you haven't, we recommend you visit the familysearch website without further delay. The collection is based on the pioneering work of the late Isobel Mordy, lodged at the Society of Genealogists in London, and Todd Knowles' additional research.

Todd, the great great grandson of Morris David Rosenbaum, explains his interest in British Jewry in his recently launched Blog, 'The Knowles Collection', which includes some detailed research on individual families. One recent blog tells the story of Todd's research into the Glucksteins and J. Lyons and Co. Another introduces a new way to search the 60,000 individuals in his collection: see Family Search Community Trees here; and for more information on all the current collections to be found on the Community Trees click Here They include:

•    British Isles: Peerage, Gentry and Colonial American Connections
•    England: Residence of London extracted from Boyd's "Citizen's of London"
•    England: Norfolk Visitations, 1563
•    Scotland: Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae
•    Wales: Medieval Records Primarily of Nobility and Gentry
•    And many more collections from across the globe

And, if all that is not exciting enough, Todd contacted us a while ago and kindly offered to send us numerous photos of Wilesden Cemetery. Soon CemeteryScribes will have its own mini Knowles (Photo) Collection!

Bath Jewish Burial Ground - Restoration

A recent article in the Jewish Chronicle reports that the first stage of the £50,000 restoration work at the old Jewish Burial Ground at Combe Down had been completed. For more information go to the Jewish Chronicle article here

CemeteryScribes has 26 tombstone photos taken at the Bath cemetery along with inscriptions for each of these individuals there are also mini family trees. Family names include: Jacobs, Jacobson, Keseff, Leon, Rees, Sigmond, Simmons, Sloman and Somers.

Click here to see further information.

Balls Pond Road Jewish Cemetery now complete!

We have added over 500 photos to CemeteryScribes.com taken at this cemetery. Each entry includes the tombstone photo, inscriptions and in most cases the immediate families of those buried there.

Balls Pond was opened in the early 1840's and is owned by West London Synagogue. It was described by Mrs Basil Holmes in ‘London Burial Grounds’ 1896, Fisher-Unwin as being neatly kept and full of very large tombstones

Of course not all the tombstones are still there or if they are they are not all legible. In many cases the names of the individuals have gone leaving only the marks made by the lettering, something of a 'dot-to-dot' puzzle to be able to read them. If you do not find the details of individuals you are looking for we recommend http://www.apex.net.au/~tmj/balls-pond/ which includes information taken from burial records.

You can browse through each entry here or use the search on the home page here